The world’s longest international border has been shut for over a year.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has begun working towards reopening the Canada-U.S. border, according to Bloomberg.
However, discussions are just getting started, and a reopening of the border may not be imminent just yet.
One approach would be to adopt a new system that allows vaccinated people to travel between the two countries without the need for COVID-19 testing or for the mandatory 14-day quarantine. This is being considered, according to an unnamed source speaking to Bloomberg.
This would be in line with Health Minister Patty Hajdu saying that Canada will be considering the use of “vaccine passports” that would allow vaccinated people to travel. There are some obstacles that need to be considered first, such as the measures that are appropriate for those who are vaccinated by vaccines that are not approved by Health Canada.
The reopening of the border is expected to be gradual, and will depend on the number of COVID-19 cases in both countries.
Trudeau has said that Canadians are likely to be fully vaccinated by September. Canada’s vaccine campaign, however, has gained steam in recent weeks and the country is now recording among the highest vaccination rates per capita among OECD nations.
International flights will continue to be accepted through just four of Canada’s airports: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.
Who can currently travel to Canada?
Until the reopening of the border is materialized, only certain people are allowed to come to Canada. Those include Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as their family members.
Some temporary foreign workers, as well as international students who are attending a learning institution that has a COVID-19 readiness plan, are also exempt from the travel restrictions.
Protected persons and people coming to Canada for compassionate reasons are also exempt. For a full list of who can travel to Canada, visit this government webpage.
In all cases, Canadian border services officers have the final say on who is allowed into the country.
